Claudy Winant, of Belgium, is writing a book about the Guards Regiments who were stationed in his neighbourhood in 19xx. He is  looking for the the name of the  Colonel of the Grenadiers, who was , at that time, billeted in Waasmont, a little village close to Landen in Belgium. He sent a couple of pictures (below) which he obtained from neighbours but there are no names on the photographs.
Claudy believes that the Grenadier on the left of the first picture is the Colonel.

The Two Grenadiers

Grenadier Colonel ?

Claudy goes on to say:

 It began in 2002, I just had published two books about the Belgian underground. The underground who was active in my region. That was the reason why I went to England  (East-Anglia : precisely in Hoveton) I was invited by two friends of mine, Mr. Martin W.Bowman from Norwich (writer of a lot of books about the American Airforce in WWII,) and Mr. Dave Kibble-White (writer too). We went all together to Tempsford and Harrington which were the bases from where the “Carpetbaggers” US-Bombers, took off with their B-24 , crossed over the Channel and dropped arms for the resistance in Belgium and France.

When my books were sold out, I began to write again but now I wrote about the Irish Guards who came in my region after they were in Holland. The Second (Armoured) and third Battalions of the Irish Guards, parts of the Guards Armoured Division, moved back to the Landen area of Belgium from the Geleen/Sittard area in Holland, on 20th December 1944 as part of the hurried precautions to counter the German thrust through the Ardennes.

The Second (Armoured) Battalion was billeted in Landen itself with the Third Battalion in and around Attenhoven(where I’m still living).

The Battalions remained throughout January, and was the first time that either had a proper breathing space since the landing in Normandy. It was a bitterly cold period and for the people of Landen food was terribly scarce and fuel almost non existent. Neverentless the utmost hospitality and friendship was shown by everyone and many lasting friendships sprang up.

I wrote you the first time to know the address of the commanding officers who were in Landen at that time, so that I could reconstruct the time they were in Landen. You gave me the addresses of Mr. Vivien Taylor (Captain, who died( 03.05.2003) after he wrote me one letter back) and I was also in touch with Mr. Desmond Fitzgerald (who died (28.05.2003) after he wrote me two letters) !! I was very upset as all my correspondents were “gone”.

I could gather some documentation in the museum of the Army in Brussels but it was not very special what I found ! I expected to find more, but all the officers which could give me information were all deceased. (Lt.Tommy McDermott – Capt. Alec Hendry – Major D. Fitzgerald – Capt.Rawlence – Major Peel and Capt. Vivian Taylor.) Do any of your visitors know somebody else who could inform me more about the after-combat reports of the Guards in Belgium?

I have sent you pictures of the GRENADIER Guards , who were billeted in Waasmont (little village close to Landen – at about 3 miles). I have a lot of pictures of the habitants (approximately 60 but… I don’t recognize nobody on it, because I knew nobody !  Maybe somebody who is still living in the U.K. can help me to put a name on the pictures of Irish Guards or Grenadier Guards. All the pictures are from British soldiers who were billeted with the inhabitants.

On 5th February 1945 the Battalions moved of to Tilburg to prepare for the next offensive.

During the remaining months of war, Landen was often visited by the Guardsmen who were always assured of a hearty welcome.

Immediately after the war the idea was born in what had then become the Second Battalion (no longer armoured) to present a new stained glass window to the church in Landen, to replace one shattered by a flying (buzz) bomb. The scheme was subscribed to by many Irish Guardsmen and the work was carried out in Belgium.

The window depicts the Patron Saints of the Irish Guards and of Landen,
St Patrick and St Gertrude; a Sherman tank arriving in Landen and finally the bells of the church being removed by the Germans in 1943 for munitions.

In May 1963 a party from the Irish Guards Association an from the First Battalion stationed in Germany, visited Landen and received the usual hospitable welcome. It was decided that the list of subscribers to the window would be shown to the public.

All the pictures I have, I’m thinking to make an album at the end of the book, to show to the people of Landen, who were their liberators and by whom they were billeted, but then I need names to put on the pictures !! (on some pictures I have the first or Christian name but no family name !)

Could you help me Ivor ? Thanks beforehand

Best Regards,

Claudy.

Quis Separabit

Click here to view Claudy's Album